Hall of Fame guard John Stockton recently went into detail regarding his close relationship with his former Utah Jazz teammate Karl Malone.
“I felt there was something magical,” Stockton said of playing with Malone. “The guy read my mind. He caught everything. He finished everything. He had all my work ethic and then some. He loved the game.
“Just one thing after another. Just kind of bond, bond, bond, bond to where now he is literally inseparable for me as a brother. We don’t see each other every day. We talk occasionally on the phone. That term is probably overused, but there’s nothing I wouldn’t do for Karl Malone, and I think he feels the same way.”
Stockton and Malone were teammates in Utah from the 1985-86 season through the 2002-03 season. They took the Jazz to the NBA Finals on multiple occasions during their playing careers. Today, they are both Hall of Famers.
There’s no doubt that the two players were special together on the floor, as they combined for 24 All-Star selections in their storied careers. Malone is also a two-time MVP.
Malone averaged 25.0 points and 10.1 rebounds per game throughout his career while Stockton averaged 13.1 points and 10.5 assists per contest during his time in the league.
Stockton and Malone had a chemistry that allowed Malone to become one of the greatest scorers in NBA history while Stockton went nine straight seasons as the NBA’s leader in assists per game.
The dynamic duo came close to winning a title twice in the late 1990s, but Stockton and Malone were knocked off by Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls both times.
Stockton and Malone are two of the greatest players in NBA history, and it is certainly great to see that Stockton believes they are brothers for life after all they achieved together in the NBA.
